Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics  (Read 5357 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #125 –
Keeping fingers crossed that it's behind you now.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #126 –
Great news Ken and Dori. Sounds like they got the problem taken care of. Safe travels to you both.

Mark and Tanya
The selected media item is not currently available.
Mark and Tanya
Milton , Florida
US Navy Veteran (DV)
1999 U270 Special 40' CAI , 2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #127 –
I would say you are out of the woods. Old hoses leak under new real pressure. Might consider to replace all  the high pressure hoses some time soon. Maybe one at a time. They are old like me and might leak under pressure also. LOL !  Just a thought. I would hate to hear you are down on the road side.  Happy traveling and camping..
Alan
99 U320 40
97 Jeep wrangler toad
Now full time 8 months
Starting a new brick and wood home
Chattanooga, Tn

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #128 –
Did our test drive yesterday. Drove out 21 to Alto down 69 to Pollok then 7 back into Nac. Right at 60 miles. The engine heated up right away on the first hill to 200˚ then the thermostats opened and the temps come right back down to 180˚. The drive was pretty hilly with lots of undulations. I torture tested the engine by lugging it up the hills in a high gear with full throttle. I had to work it to get the temp up to 195˚. As soon as I hit the other side of the hill the temps came right back down.

Before I left I used one of the spare wires from the engine to the dash to hook into the high-low switch. Attached it to the same point the solenoid is attached to and at the dash installed a led light. Since the solenoid is normally off the solenoid needs 12v for the fan to stay in low speed mode. This means the light on the dash stays on unless the switch goes into high speed mode in which case the light will go out. On my test drive the only time the fan went into high speed mode was when I first started right before the thermostats kicked in. I don't know what temp the high-low switch is set to cut in but the one time it did switch to high the gauge was showing 200˚. Alton thought it would switch in at 190˚.

I'm not sure how accurate my temp gauge is. On the drive out from Tucson it was fluctuating wildly at times. (Which only added to my stress level at the time!) I opened the dash to check the ground and when I touched the wire the needle on the gauge maxed out. Found that when I push the wire to the drivers side it would max out and sometimes bounce around. When I pushed to the passenger side it settled down and was steady. Did some redneck engineering and wedged a wadded piece of napkin between the pins and at least it reads steady now. :) Will probably replace soon.

Did the test drive with full fresh water, close to full fuel, 1/4 tank lp and tow car attached. At the end of the drive the ambient temps were in the high 80s and the temp gauge was staying steady at 185˚. Since the Detroits like to run a "little" hot I'll take it! Plus the extra 5˚ may be my gauge...

Alton did say they took the pressure up to 3500psi to get the fan speed they wanted. (1900rpm on  high) That seems pretty high to me. Will be asking Mark/Alton about that tomorrow. Since it looks like the engine will be in low speed mode most of the time that may not be an issue. I do have the option of playing with the pressures with the relief cartridge now that it's working. I do need to make some psi & rpm measurements at different engine rpms in low speed mode then again in high speed mode so I have reference values. Appreciate any thoughts you guys may have.

Also thought I'd mention that I do have a couple of small leaks. Looks like they may have overfilled the reservoir. Oil coming down the outside of it after the drive. Also found a pool of fresh oil on top of the hydraulic pump mounting bracket. Not sure how oil could get there but it did. Will have the shop look at it. Just shows that when you have major work done always take a test drive and don't plan on leaving the minute the work is done.

EDIT: Forgot to add pic of high/low alert light.

see ya
ken


The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #129 –
Looking good Ken!!! Unless on a long grade in hot summer weather, our gauge sticks right at 187 degrees. Time for you guys to kick back for a while now.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #130 –
Great news Ken.

Roland
1993 U280 4341
2010 Jeep Liberty
The Pied Pipers

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #131 –
Yea!!!!!
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #132 –
Ken, if it is leaking from the top of the reservoir, verify that they put the clamp on properly. First time we had our coach serviced, someone put the clamp on with "big end" to "big end" and "little end" to "little end." The clamps halves are supposed to go on with "big end" to "little end" so they nest properly and snug up the gasket.
J D Stevens
1997 U295 CAI 36' Build #5085
2002 Subaru Outback
Motorcade 16869
Bellville, TX

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #133 –
Ken,

What an ordeal.  I hope the worst of this situation is now behind you.  Sooner or later all of us will be in the same boat with a breakdown situation and will have to limp in for repairs.  At least your in NAC and can hang around for a while for some R&R and can test your repair work before moving on.  Was the year old pump a new one or rebuilt?  Was there any warranty on it or can it be rebuilt for a spare?  To go out that soon it must have worked it's guts out with all the restrictions to the oil flow. 

Jerry aka Murph
The selected media item is not currently available.
Jerry and Cindy Maddux
1993 U300/36WTBI DD6v92TA
build 4271  "Miss Lou"
1995 suzuki sidekick 4x4 toad
Gulfport, Ms

"Pride of Ownership"

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #134 –
Ken,

That's wonderful news!  Guess it had to be the pump,  since you had replaced everything else, but funny that it went out so soon after you replaced it (a year ago?)

Still haven't hooked up the pressure gauge on our pump to see what our pressure is, but the fan thermostat bypass control I put in really does help with retarder temperature on long downhills (writeup coming soon...)
Dave and Nancy
1999/2013 U270 36' Xtreme
Motorcade # 16774
2013 Subaru Outback
KD0NIM

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #135 –
Yeah there should be no reason for a pump to fail in less than a year and a half. My opinion is that the pump was defective from the start. Since symptoms didn't show unless the ambient temps rose above 70˚ and I rarely hit those temps it took a little more than a year for me to find out I had a problem. Then another 6 months of messing around with it before I got it to Nac. On the one hand I think Foretravel has some skin in the game but on the other I've been using the pump for 1.5 years... :(

When I get my bill I if they haven't given me some kind of break I plan to tell my story. I'm pretty sure they will work with me to reach a compromise. They always have in the past.

I am really happy to have a coach that works again and I can start driving by speedometer instead of temp gauge! :)

see ya
ken
The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #136 –
@Jerry Yes it was a new pump not a rebuild. Don't plan to rebuild the old pump. We full time so don't want to carry it. Don't know if there is a warranty on the pump. I doubt a warranty would be longer than a year and I'm about 6 months past that.

From what I've learned about gear pumps it's pretty rare for one to just fail. They usually wear out or blow the seals. They are really simple pieces of equipment. Two shafts and 4 gears on this one in an oil bath doesn't seem like there is a whole lot to go wrong. :) That's why I think it was defective from the beginning but have no real proof.

see ya
ken
The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #137 –
@Dave Glad the by-pass control is working for you. I had a blast with you driving to every hydraulics shop in Tucson sourcing parts for it. I feel I have some skin in that game (even if I was just the driver) so will share some of your victory. :)

see ya
kne
The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X
 

Re: Need help understanding my radiator hydraulics

Reply #138 –
Very interested in this idea!
Quote from: Dave Katsuki –
...Still haven't hooked up the pressure gauge on our pump to see what our pressure is, but the fan thermostat bypass control I put in really does help with retarder temperature on long downhills (writeup coming soon...)
The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson